North Korea: Location, History, Size, Population, & Government

About the location, history, size, population, and government of the country North Korea.

KOREA

North Korea

Size--46,800 sq. mi. (121,200 sq. km.).

Population--15 million: almost 100% Korean. The traditional religions are Buddhism, Confucianism, Shamanism, and Ch'ordogyoisin, but glorification of Kim Il Sung seems to be the official religion.

Who Rules--The national Supreme People's Assembly and local People's Assemblies. Legislators are elected from the Workers (Communist) party. The Premier, Kim Il Sung, is also General Secretary of the Workers party.

Who REALLY Rules--It is difficult to determine to what degree power is shared within North Korea's communist leadership, since North Korean publications credit Kim Il Sung with everything good that is done, everything wise that is said. There have been factions within the Workers party supporting both China and the U.S.S.R. in the Sino-Soviet split, but North Korea has managed to remain neutral.